O’MAHONEY LEADS RUDY SERIES AFTER BASSENTHWAITE WIN

WINNING by almost a minute, local favourite Paul O?Mahoney (Pro Bike Kit) took the honours in the second round of the RTTC-Rudy Project Time Trial Series on a circuit of Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria.

He covered two laps of the lake in 1hr 8min 44sec, 55 seconds faster than second-placed Julian Ramsbottom (Scunthorpe Poly CC), while Scotland?s Jonathan Copp (Deeside Thistle) was third, another 23 seconds off the pace.

It was O?Mahoney?s second win of the Easter weekend having won the North Lancashire Road Club 10-mile event at Garstang, Lancashire, on Saturday. And it could so nearly have been a hat-trick of wins, but he was pushed into second place by just four seconds in the 33-mile Buxton CC Mountain time trial on Good Friday, rival Matt Bottrill (De Rosa RT) winning that event.

Pippa Handley (Edinburgh Road Club) was fastest of the women over one lap on the Bassenthwaite circuit, winning by just one second from Sarah Bailey (VC St Raphael). In the absence of Julia Shaw, Handley now leads the women?s standings after two rounds.

RTTC-Rudy Project Series.- Round Two (Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria).- Men (33 miles).- Paul O?Mahoney (Pro Bike Kit) 1-08-44; 2, J. Ramsbottom (Scunthorpe Poly CC) 1-09-39; 3, J. Copp (Deeside Thistle CC) 1-10-02; 4, M. Holton (Ribble Valley CRC) 1-10-37; 5, J. Dance (ABC Centreville) 1-13-01; 6, B. Payton (VC Cumbria) 1-13-04. Women.- Pippa Handley (Edinburgh RC) 37-42; 2, S. Bailey (VC St Raphael) 37-43; 3, L. Hamel (Kent Valley RC) 38-15. Juniors: Calum Nicholson (Kent Valley RC) 38-10.